I’ve moved to a new house… and British Gas is refusing to give me a smart meter display

We have just moved to a new-build rental home. When we moved here, there was no monitoring device in the house that could be used with the smart meter.

British Gas is refusing to supply one because the smart meters were installed in 2021 when the apartments were built. Apparently there is a rule that smart meters no longer need to be replaced after the first year of use.

I also can’t tell for certain whether a home appliance would ever have been supplied to the property – and if so, it sounds likely that the building developers were given them and never handed them over to new residents.

Having a smart meter monitor is essential for us to track energy expenditure in real time. The app is insufficient.

We spoke to British Gas’ online chat agents twice and were referred to the complaints department. They said their policy was that they would no longer supply surveillance equipment after twelve months of installation.

It seems there is no one else to talk to at British Gas other than their telephone complaints team. The call handler told me that they can file a complaint, but they must close it immediately. Because the complaint is based on ‘company policy’ they say there is nothing they can do.

If you could help in any way it would be greatly appreciated. AS via email

Harvey Dorset from This is Money replies: This is not the first time we have seen a supplier refuse to provide a smart meter display to a customer whose property had a smart meter installed more than twelve months ago.

Although your smart meter will still provide data to British Gas, this means you won’t be able to track your energy consumption.

In theory, the in-home displays should remain in the building, because they are linked to the smart meter and cannot be used elsewhere.

But it is inevitable that homeowners will move to a property with a smart meter, where the previous owners have left no monitor behind.

In your case, you think that the developers of the property must have received the meters, but for whatever reason did not pass them on.

Many energy companies won’t automatically provide a new smart meter if the first one breaks or gets lost after 12 months – although it’s always worth asking.

British Gas offers an app to help you monitor your energy consumption, but it doesn’t provide real-time information in the same way as the smart meter.

For many, one of the main reasons for having a smart meter installed is the convenience of having a display in the home. This is especially the case for those who do not have a smartphone.

Smart meters were first introduced in 2011 as a way to help households keep their energy bills under control, and have since been installed in homes, replacing more traditional meters.

More than 30 million households in Britain now have a functioning smart meter and the government wants to see smart meters in 80 percent of households by 2025.

According to British Gas, they are happy to provide a smart meter display free of charge to customers if the meter has been installed in the last twelve months.

But beyond that point, British Gas says it cannot replace it.

I have spoken to British Gas about your case and the reasons why they have refused to provide you with a new smart meter.

In this case I am pleased to hear that British Gas has contacted you both to apologize and to inform you that they will be providing you with an in-home display.

“I have an appointment with an engineer to provide a home monitor so I can start accurately monitoring my energy usage, which will really help with budgeting,” you told me.

A spokesperson for British Gas said: ‘We have spoken to AS to apologize for the delay in sending out an in-home display after she recently moved into the property. We have arranged for an engineer to come and provide one.”